


Beyond Your Darkness, I'm Your Light

by murasashi



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Gen, One Shot, Slight Canon Divergence, reinterpreting this scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-31 18:39:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12687966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/murasashi/pseuds/murasashi
Summary: A slightly different, relationship-focused take on the final battle with Metalia. Inspired by "All Night" by Beyoncé. One-shot.





	Beyond Your Darkness, I'm Your Light

He was alive.

He was warm, he had a pulse, and somehow - _somehow_ \- he had drawn breath.

She was no longer alone.

Her hands trembled as they clasped one of his. A distinct chill went down her spine, despite the warmth of the Silver Crystal's light. She had played her part in this scene before: her love, her life, lying seemingly dead before her. The Silver Crystal fragment that had saved his life had not saved him from Metalia's corruption before. The Crystal had taken back its wayward piece, and they had been surrounded by Metalia herself until just moments ago. She had no guarantee that the same thing would not happen again. For all she knew, he could very well wake up and kill her for the Crystal.

"...Sailor Moon?" he groaned, his voice husky as if he had merely been sleeping. As if everything he had done until this moment had been nothing but a bad dream.

"Mamoru..." she gasped, barely managing to vocalize anything beyond the lump in her throat. Her eyes brimmed with tears, equal parts wonder, terror, and anticipation. The crystal's light wavered and dimmed, allowing shadows to dance across Mamoru's face.

He slowly began to reach for her face, and she flinched on instinct. Her breath hitched, the memory of his hand around her neck all too fresh. She squeezed her eyes shut, somewhere between bracing for this horrible cycle to play itself out _yet again_ and praying that once, _just once_ , her faith might be rewarded.

Thankfully, his fingertips brushed her cheek, delicately tracing the contours of her face. He knew this was Usagi, _his_ Usagi, it had to be - yet, she wasn't what was before his eyes. Her figure was distant, cloaked in a swirling mist, as if he was seeing the dreams that had once guided him to her. But this time, the air was heavy with sorrow. It clung to him, permeating his consciousness with every breath.

This was what he had wrought. The very thought of it was sickening - she had come so far, she had literally worked miracles, _and yet_ she was utterly consumed with doubt - and it was because _he_ had turned traitor.

He steadied himself, setting his jaw with determination. He couldn't be the reason for her to doubt like this again.

He drew his fingers away from her skin and blinked, expecting the vision to clear and leave him only with his beloved's face. Instead, he was greeted with darkness. He tried once more, absently bringing his hands in front of where he knew his face was, only to be faced with absolutely nothing.

"I...can't see anything." He blurted out, still reeling.

"Y-your vision is gone?" Usagi repeated, but she had no time to act on it. Metalia loomed large, her very presence so oppressive that it exerted pressure on both of their bodies. Usagi drew upon the Silver Crystal once more to attack Metalia. The Crystal flared with light and the air crackled as it came into contact with Metalia's being, but quickly fizzled out as Metalia absorbed the attack and grew even larger.

"Ohh...such strong power! Hand over the Silver Crystal to me!"

"No..." Usagi gasped, now struggling to support the Silver Crystal.

Mamoru felt something else in the air now. What had once been a radiant warmth from the Silver Crystal was flickering and erratic. Usagi's confusion, doubt, and pain had spilled over, now amplified by the crystal before her. The Silver Crystal vibrated wildly, a sensation he knew all too well. The Earth was as good as gone if Usagi couldn't focus.

He moved to sit up, desperately trying to find where Usagi had gone until he felt a sharp pain and a familiar weight next to his heart. Upon investigation, he found what felt like a cracked gemstone and cradled it in his palm.

Despite his perceived inability to see, Mamoru managed to make out a hazy, but familiar figure. _Kunzite, _he recalled, the memory of his most experienced general now clear in his mind's eye. The vision showed him Metalia's heart, offered him a glimpse of his former comrades finally reunited as their true selves, and left him with a renewed sense of purpose.__

Mamoru reached out into the dark once more, now refusing to hesitate, and found the familiar warmth of Usagi's shoulder. She was trembling, clearly on the verge of tears, but stiffened up out of surprise when he touched her.

"Metalia's weak point is her forehead." He said firmly, confidently, determined to now do right by the Earth, his former kingdom.

Usagi suddenly turned around, momentarily taken aback, but it was enough to break up the swirl of discord. At last, there was a glimmer of hope beyond the sheen of tears in her eyes. The Silver Crystal, in turn, returned to a somewhat subdued state. "How...?" She finally managed to whisper, trying to gather her thoughts.

Mamoru reached for her face once more, gingerly cradling it between his hands. Usagi did not recoil this time, instead closing her eyes and focusing on the gentle warmth of his hands. He felt the tears roll down her cheeks and gently brushed them away as they came into contact with his fingers. There was a twinge of an apology - an unnecessary one, he would say if it were appropriate - but now was not the time. "Have faith."

She didn't need his ability to read people at a touch to hear his true request: _Have faith in yourself. Have faith in me._

She gently removed his hands from her face and interlaced her fingers with his, holding firmly. A moment passed like this, and Mamoru heard her take a deep breath in and out. In his mind's eye, the fog began to clear; her image itself was still hazy, but the very atmosphere around her was calm, inviting, and all-encompassing, as if to embrace him. This was the Usagi he knew; not merely the princess of an ancient kingdom or a soldier of justice, but a true heart brimming with a love that had overcome his pride.

 _I will._ She silently vowed, and gently squeezed his hands for reassurance before letting go.

She brought the Silver Crystal forth once more, its light now steady and true. This was it - the love that was finally going to put an end to this painful war. What had once tormented them and torn them apart had brought them back together and allowed them to heal.

His hands gently bracketed hers, barely brushing against them, but allowing her the freedom to do what she would. Even through her gloves, she felt the steady thrum of energy against her skin. It complemented hers, becoming the foundation from which her power could expand; the Earth's surface to the expansive night sky filled with moonlight. He briefly glimpsed something new, something greater than the two of them, something cosmic and profound.

Was that the true power of the Silver Crystal?

"I will crush you!" Metalia roared, preparing to attack once more.

The air around them remained tranquil and steady. Usagi withdrew her hands and turned to face Metalia, blue eyes steely with determination. _Mamoru...everyone...thank you._

"No, Queen Metalia!" She declared defiantly, summoning the Moon Stick to use it to direct the Silver Crystal's power. It was now a proper scepter worthy of royalty.

The clouds parted to reveal the full moon above.

"I am the pretty sailor-suited soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon. I am the Princess Serenity. In the name of the moon, I will seal you away for good!"

His heart swelled with pride as the crystal surged with power.

The moon shone as it never had before. It was blazing beacon of hope that even a blind man could feel.

A wave of warmth, at once soothing his body and crackling in his veins, washed over him, drowning out Metalia's screams and the howling winds. Somewhere, in the dark, he felt familiar hands on his, followed by familiar lips - gentle, but distinctly curved into a smile. As a much longed-for pair of blue eyes swam into focus, he distinctly heard:

 _How I've missed you, my love._

**Author's Note:**

> School is school is school, so it feels good to actually finish and post a fic, even if it's just a short one. All hail Queen Bey.


End file.
